Mortimer norden



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1.

M. NORDEN. ELECTRICAL SIGN.

No. 606,356. Patented June 28,1898.

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(No Model) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

M. NORDEN.

ELECTRICAL SIGN.

No. 606,356. Patented June 28,1898.

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ilwrrnn STATES PATENT @rrron.

MORTIMER NORDEN, OF NE\V YORK, N. 'Y., ASSIGNOR TO JOSEPH NORDEN, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRICAL SlGN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 606,356, dated June 28, 1898.

Application filed April 12, 1897.

To whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MORTIMER NORDEN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State ofNew 'York, have invented an Improvement in Switch Mechanism for Electric Signs, of which the following is a specification.

In Letters Patent No. 568,204, granted to me September 22, 1896, a monogram is repio resented for an electric sign, such monogram having the electric lights disposed in such a manner that any desired letter can be indicated by illuminating the proper electric lamps, and in so doing the proper circuit connections are selected, and a hand mechan ism is represented for such selection.

The present invention is made with reference to an automatic mechanism by which the electriclights are selected from the monogram, so that where several monograms are provided, one for each letter, and placed in a row or otherwise to constitute a sign the letters can be illuminated so as to spell the de-- sired words and the circuit connections can be made to all the n1onograms simultaneously, so as to illuminate the proper letters for spelling out words in succession, and

I then an interval is provided between the completion of the words that are to be spelled and the repetition of the illumination.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of a monogram and the circuit connections to the same. Fig. 2 is an end view illustrating the circuit-closer, and Fig. 3 is a side view representing the circuitclosing devices and part of the driving mechanism.

It is generally advantageous to make use of an electric motor, and the same may be employed for driving the shaft B and pinion O, which gives motion to the gear D, at the proper speed to revolve the same and the shaft E, that is supported in the end frames F, and upon this shaft E there are heads G, adapted to receive the ends of the letter-bars II, in each of which letter-bars there is a row of holes for the reception of the movable contact-pins 2.

The rings I are each preferably made in two parts, the upper one being separable from the lower, and these are advantageously united Serial No. 631,780. (No model.)

by hinges 3 and a movable pin 4 at the slipjoints', so that the upper segments of the rings and the bars K, that are carried by them, can be swung back or lifted off to give access to the cylinder formed of the end frames F and letter-bars H, in order that the letter-bars may be changed, the same being removable from the heads in any suitable manner, and it is preferable to support the ends of the letter-bars on circular projecting ribs on the heads and to employ the screws 5 for connecting the lettonbars' at their ends to the heads.

Upon the bars K electric contacts are provided, preferably in the form of springs (i and 7, attached at theirends to the bars and normally separated; but when the contactpins 2 come in contact with the springs 7 they are brought against the springs 6 to close the electric circuit, and upon each bar K there are pairs of contact-springs G and 7, equal in number to the number of lights in one monogram, and I have represented a monogram at M similar to the indnogram represented in the aforesaid patent, and hence such monogram does not require further description herein; but I do not limit myself to the specific arrangement of lamps so repre sented, as the present invention is available with electric signs of any desired character.

I provide as many bars K as there are monograms M, such bars being advantageously placed at equal distances around the cylinder of letter-bars, and where all the monogramsigns are to be illuminated simultaneously the letter-bars II should be placed in corresponding positions, so that their contact-pins 2 engage all the springs on the 1nonogrambars simultaneously, and it is now to be understood that the letter-bars H are to be prepared by placing the contact-pins 2 in the correct positions for closing the circuits to the proper lampsiu the monograms, so as to show the desired letter by the illumination of the lamps.

It is to be understood that with the monogram as illustrated any letter can be displayed by the selection of the proper lamps. I have represented six of the bars K in Fig. 2, and with these there are to be six of the inonogrannboards, (illustrated in Fig. 1,) one ICO to each bar. As the cylinder G is revolved six of the bars it act, in connection with the six bars K, to illuminate six letters, or if a less number of lettersis required for a given word one or more bars ll may be left out. lVhen the next set of bars ll comes around, the lamps are illuminated on the monogramboards to spell the next word desired, and so on, and as there are thirty-six of the bars II the machine represented is capable of showing six words one after the other.

A convenient arrangement of circuit connections is represented in Fig. 1, in which N represents a main battery or other source of electric energy, from which a wire 8 leads to all the springs G, and a wire 9 from each spring '7 leads to an electric lamp, and a common return-wire 10 leads to the battery. If these wires only were made use of, the electric sign might be illuminated so as to indicate the desired words by repeating the circuit-contacts [or illuminating the proper 1ettors; but as it is generally desirable to obtain a pause between one set of. illuminations and another I provide upon one of the heads (i a segment-bar O and a contact-brush con neeted to the wire 8 and a brush and wire leading from the segment-bar i) to the springs 6, so that when the segment bar O by its rotation with the cylinder-heads G separates from the contact-lnushes 11 the main circuit will be broken and the illumination of the sign arrested until the segment-bar again makes contact with the brushes 11.

The pins 2 can be arranged in the letter bars 11 so as to close the circuit to the proper lamps for indicating any d sired letter, and the bar can be marked so as to show what letter can be indicated by it, and as these bars are movable they can be placed around the cylinder and coi'inectcd with the heads G in the desired order.

I have represented in the d rawings six bars K and thirty-six letter bars ii, and it is to be understood that the letter-bars are arranged. so that when six of them come into action by closing the proper contacts one of the letterbars will act with the first monogram, the next with the second, and so on around the circle, and hence the six monograms can be illuminated with the desired letter, and when the next set of letter-bars is brought around to contact with the springs on the bars lit the monogram-lotters can be illuminated to spell a di tlfcrent word, and so on. Six words can be spelled one after another, and then the segment-bar 0 will separate from the brushes ll and the illtunination will cease until the segment-bar again comes into contact with the brush.

The number of bars h: and their s n-ings will vary according to the number of mono grains in the electric sign, and the number oi letter-bars will. vary according to the number of words to be spelled before a pause ocours in the illuminatiim, and while it is generally most convenient to have as many holes in the letter-bars as there are pairs oil springs 6 7 the letter-bars may only be provii'lci'l with pins at the proper places for the given letter to be illuminated, as these bars are easily changed from one place to another upon the heads G, according to the letters to be iliu minated.

It is generally advantageous to maize use of the springs l3 7 in pairs, as shown; bu t when. the heads G- and the letter-bars il and pins 3 are made of conducting material. it is not nee essary to have the springs (3, because the pins 2, coming in direct contact with the springs 7, would close the electric circuits to the respective lam ps.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination with the monogri'nn olf electric lamps and the circuit connections to and from the same, of bars and spring-contacts carried by the bars, a shaft, heads, let ter-bars and cont acts upon the letter-bars and means for revolving the same and closing the circuits to the electric lamps by the pins acting upon the pairs of contact-smings, a scgment-bar and contact-ln'ush in the main circuiit for closing the circuit through the spring contacts and for breahing such circuit when the segment separates from the contzu: t--bru sh, substantially set forth.

2. in an automatic mechanism for electric signs, a shaft and heads, means for revolving such shaft and heads, removable lOlit OWlMIH and contact-pins carried by such heads and a circular range of bars and contactsprings carried by the same and (fli'ellll)0 j iil10t3ti0iis, a segment-bar upon one oi? the heads and a contact-brush and circuit connections, sub-- stantially as set forth.

Signed by me this l 8th day oi" January, 1897.

tlitnesses:

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